For several years now, I’ve been celebrating pets with a set of playful awards from their photo sessions - my way of celebrating your dog’s personality through images—highlighting those little moments you know and love, and sometimes the ones you didn’t even realize were happening until you saw them captured forever.

This year, 12 dogs and a cat shine in their own way. Check them out!

This is not your run of the mill list of dog photography tips!

These tips are more about the creative side of photographing your dog — how to use space in interesting ways, how to compose photos for the best effects, how to make your dog the star of the show, and capture images that feel natural, expressive, and full of life.

Most of us are guilty of it. We snap adorable photos of our pets, save them to our phones, maybe share them on Instagram—and then? They vanish into the digital abyss. When you frame your pet photos, you transform them into art. They become part of your home. They’re reminders you get to see every day, not just when you scroll through your camera roll.